


Late Night

by Valpoet



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 21:44:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16920963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valpoet/pseuds/Valpoet
Summary: Leo totally doesn't worry about Donnie. At all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place during "The Purple Jacket" and it's my first ever attempt at ANY TMNT Fanfic.

Leo likes to think he knows all his brothers pretty well, and he likes to think that he knows Donnie the best out of all of them. Being close in age, he feels, gives him that much more of an oomph to knowing his barely (only barely, and he'll fight to the death on the barely part) older brother and what makes him tick.

Hearing rage in the middle of the night isn't unusual. Donnie stays up late. Always has. Jammed thumbs and minor explosions and loud screeches shortly thereafter aren't really that out of the ordinary at all. Thing is, Leo's a light sleeper - especially when things are different and Raph and Mikey can sleep like the dead through anything.

So when it's not the rage, but mechanical constructs buzzing their way by Leo's bedroom, that wakes him up almost immediately because that's new. That's new and kinda weird, but hey, maybe Donnie's doing something weird with his testing, only it's like less than ten minutes later when the screeching starts.

Leo always goes to check that out. He makes himself a hot cocoa first because _priorities,_  but he goes to check it out. Especially because this night is already weird and different and when he's confronted by a clearly panicking Donnie (who rage panics because of course he does, this guy has no in between), it's the best he can do to keep his own demeanor calm too.

He doesn't really want to add fuel to that fire. But he does notice as Donnie books it, that there's an urgency there in his steps. An urgency that he didn't confide in Leo about because _of course he doesn't, this is Donnie we're talking about and that guy doesn't confide in anyone, much less about actual feelings_ , but even though Leo knows something pretty big is up, he also knows that if Donnie didn't think he could handle it, he'd ask. Dude may have a soft shell, but he's capable (sometimes the most capable, but not as capable as Leo is, because Leo is the _best_  and a Champion) and definitely not so stupid as to tackle a big thing all by himself because of his pride.

Leo doesn't exactly go back to sleep after that. He finishes his cocoa and adjusts his pajamas a few times (fluffy and soft and warm, just how he likes them and he doesn't understand why Donnie sleeps _naked_ because jammies are the best thing next to unicorn onesies) and then makes another cocoa before he makes an attempt to head back to bed. He wonders a bit with genuine concern if Donnie really _would_ call them for help if he needed them, but has to be reasonable because Donnie isn't stupid and neither is Leo.

Of course Donnie would call for help. Donnie knows his limits. Donnie knows his weaknesses; they all kinda know Donnie's weaknesses. It's obvious. It's physical. But they can't guard him like a pack of hounds, he gets grumpy (well, grumpier than usual) and dude can totally take care of himself.

Leo just worries a little. Just a little because that's his bro and his bro is out there, maybe entirely alone doing something probably pretty stupid for Donnie (because of his pride, Leo thinks, Donnie has his stupid pride) and maybe Donnie is hurt pretty bad. Did he take his phone? Leo doesn't remember if he saw Donnie take his phone in his mad dash outta dodge. He took that stupid (stupid, but sexy) jacket, but did he take his phone?

Leo keeps himself up a long time. All sorts of thoughts run through his head and all sorts of images of various versions of Donnie - some okay and some not okay, and it's the not okay ones that _kinda_ scare him and _kinda_  make him wanna go after his (barely) older brother. But he doesn't.

Leo stays in the Lair and he waits and he thinks and he totally doesn't actually worry himself half to death.  
\--  
It's like four in the frickin' morning when Leo jolts and hears Donnie come home. There's an attempt that Donnie's making to genuinely be quiet, but he's dragging his feet and a bunch of other stuff that sounds pretty heavy. Leo is tempted to get out of bed to go help him, but that would mean admitting that he stayed up all this time (which he didn't, he totally ended up taking like a twenty minute nap) to make sure Donnie got home safe.

Leo has his own form of pride.

He goes back to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Leo hates that he looks tired and that Raph and Mikey are giving him those stupid concerned looks, because he's totally fine and it's no big deal, _really_ , shouldn't they be more concerned that Donnie hasn't gotten up yet?

But that's not true, because Donnie is known for going to bed late and getting up even later.

"Did you even _sleep_ last night, Bro?" Raph asks, totally not even bothering to hide his concern because that's Raph; Raph is big and stupid a lot of the time, but he's really all heart and that's what matters.

"Oh yeah, _t_ _otally_. Like a beautiful baby. Heeeey, Miguel, don't poke the face! I'll have to do _another_  scrub!"

At least Mikey has the decency to be _somewhat_  apologetic, but all conversation comes to a halt anyway as they hear the dragging of feet.

"Oh, Don's up."

Which is good. Now they'll stop focusing on how tired Leo looks and focus on how absolutely _exhausted_  Donnie looks instead. Because he does. Donnie looks like a frickin' zombie turtle from beyond the grave. He's certainly dragging his feet along like one.

Only difference is, today instead of that stupid ( _amazing_ ) jacket he had on yesterday, he's got on a scarf that he hasn't worn since they were kids. If Raph and Mikey notice the scarf, they say nothing. More than likely, though, they're distracted by zombie-Don and his incredible and obvious need for copious amount of coffee.

Raph tried to put a limit on Donnie once, Leo remembers as he watches his bros hoard themselves towards the kitchen (Donnie leading the way just to devour every coffee bean in existence; Leo doesn't get how he drinks the stuff, it's just like _bean juice_ ). Limiting Donnie on coffee never really works out well; things get destroyed and feelings hurt and it's worse than an actual bomb going off. It's really just better to deal with the addiction than try and cut it off.

"Nice scarf." Leo comments, because he can't _help_  it.

"Catching cold, Bro?"

He gets a non-answering grunt in response. The classic "don't talk to me until I've succumbed to a coffee haze". Mikey gets Donnie breakfast, because the rest of them have long since eaten by this point and everyone knows that Donnie isn't really all that _great_  at the whole getting up thing.

Donnie doesn't really say anything, which isn't unusual. He probably won't talk for at least an hour, so that's good and normal, but the _scarf isn't_  and it makes Leo feel weird. Raph is ignoring it though, probably just noticing a lot how the normal bags under Donnie's eyes are like a billion and a half times worse, but any attempt at conversation is basically pointless.

So, they all kinda do their own thing. Leo keeps kinda close, but not like super weird close. Just close enough to see if Donnie does anything else super weird. He doesn't. Just drinks a pot and a half of coffee and pokes about his inspired pizza omelette and every once in awhile adjusts the scarf when it starts to slip too low.

Raph goes to work out, like he always does cuz that dude has _routine_  and Mikey has been babbling about this cool sculpture he has in mind, so he's gone off to do that.

Leo just kinda pretends to read a comic.  
\--

April stops by and is as loud and cool as always, but she's here for Donnie, which is cool, Leo guesses.

She notices the scarf too, but her expression isn't one of surprise or anything. It's one of "Oh" and acceptance and Leo doesn't really like that.

"Hey, Donnie? Can I _borrow_  you for a minute?" It's that no nonsense tone and Donnie is still kinda half asleep right now, but even he knows that and he grunts another non-answer before heading off with her towards the lab.

Leo waits only three heartbeats before he creeps after them, totally not planning on eavesdropping (he's totally planning on eavesdropping, what kinda brother would he be if he didn't listen in on his bros' private conversations? One who didn't care, that's what kind!).

He hovers on the outside of the lab, carapace pressed against the brick and listening as carefully as he can because he _knows_ something is up. His gut is good at letting him know when things are just _too_ _weird_ and this is too weird.

"Is your neck bothering you?" April speaks lowly and Leo can barely hear her.

"I'm _fine_ , I already told you-" Donnie sounds only mildly irritated, obviously working on keeping his own voice very low.

"Donnie." It's the No-Nonsense voice - the dangerous voice.

"- yes, it's bothering me. But I'm fine."

"You'd say that anyway, D."

"And, your point?"

Leo imagines that April is glaring with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot. All signs of impatience. And trouble.

"Let me see it."

"What? No!"

"Why not?"

"I have rights! Rights to personal space and autonomy!"

Leo rolls his eyes and imagines April is too, but he's _concerned_  because what happened to Donnie's neck?

He pulls from the wall, frowning deep and makes a note to get Donnie alone later. But he can't with April here and if he sticks around too long, they'll catch him and normally he'd be okay with that cuz all it'd get him is Donnie yelling at him, but right now he kinda doesn't want to deal with it that much.

Leo leaves and goes back to pretending to read his comic, more or less distracted with the secrets his barely older brother is hiding.  
\--

"Hey, Buddy." Leo hovers by the entrance to the lab like twenty minutes after April's gone home, and maybe it makes him look too desperate but at this point he doesn't really care.

"What do you want, Leo."

"Oh, y'know, not muuuuuch." He rocks himself on the balls of his feet, kinda twirling himself a bit further into the lab until he's practically hanging off the back of Donnie's heavy duty chair.

Leo doesn't miss how Donnie seems to grab for the scarf a bit too suddenly, as though afraid Leo's gonna rip it from his neck. Which is tempting, but _probably_  counterproductive.

"Not much always means something."

"You got home pretty late last night, huh?" Leo's gonna play this off real smooth, as though he totally didn't stay up waiting; as if he totally hasn't been kinda a bit worried about his brother all day.

"Not _that_ late."

"Four in the morning is pretty late." Oh, _shoot_ , but if Donnie notices that Leo just kinda spilled his own secret on accident, it's quickly overwhelmed by the idea that Leo knows exactly how long Donnie was out last night.

"Not that-"

"Where's your mediocre jacket? You were totally rubbing it in our faces yesterday and now you're not."

"It's...in storage."

"Storage, huh."

"Yeah. Storage." Donnie's fingers work away at some smashed object Leo barely recognises.

"Isn't that your battle shell? Dude, what _happened_  to it?"

"Nothing! Nothing happened to it!" Ah, the classic defense.

Leo flicks a loose piece of titanium from the crumpled mess and Donnie looks ready to strangle him.

"If you don't have anything important to-"

"You know you're totally allowed to actually _talk_  to me, you know." Leo cuts him off pretty smoothly, now kinda gripping the woolen scarf in his hand not at _all_ threatening.

"Do I gotta tug or are you just going to show me?"

"I'm not _hiding_ anything."

"Donnie, my bro, I'm not an idiot. Your jacket is gone, your cool stuff that you basically hoard with your life is all smashed, and you're totally hiding your neck."

The protests seem to die a little in Donnie's throat then and Leo knows that maybe he looks a bit too serious, so he tries his best to soften his expression.

Donnie sighs and grumbles.

"Honestly, it's not that bad." It's mostly mutterings, but he loosens the scarf and slowly reveals his 'deep dark secret'.

Leo feels something settle in his gut. It's cold and heavy and hard. And gross. Mostly gross.

The bruising around Donnie's neck is dark. The details are immense, showing just how hard whatever it was grabbed him. Deep and purple and gross.

Leo instinctively pushes his fingers against them.  
Donnie yelps loudly with pain.

"Leo!"

"Dude."

"Was that _necessary_?"

"Totally. I had to make sure it was real. Dude, those look like _your claws._ " Leo says, this time more gently touching at the bruising.

Donnie is visibly tense, now, probably not trusting Leo to not poke and prod. Still, after a few more minutes, he relaxes and closes his eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Dude." Leo is unhappy, but he's glad his brother is _here_ and _alive_  and not deshelled or decapitated somewhere.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what happened, on some level. Donnie's stuff is smashed and bruises resembling his own equipment mark his neck.

"You want some ice?" It's really all Leo can offer because he's not really a medic or anything, but maybe ice will help.

"No, it's fine." Donnie lets out a breath that he's obviously been holding.

"I'm fine, Leon."

"That doesn't really _look_  fine."

"It's just a bruise."

"You had pretty good skin, Bro; was a nice shade of green. Now it's all...purple and kinda gross. No wonder you don't want anyone to see."

"Can you _imagine_  Michael's reaction?" Donnie retorts, looking tired, but finally just submitting to Leo's hands on approach to inspection.

"No, I totes understand." Leo does.

He does understand, but he still hates that Donnie hides stuff like this.

"Just, like, ugh, _Dude_." He makes a face because he's not sure what else to say.

"You shouldn't keep secrets like this. This is, like,  a pretty big deal. You know they're gonna see soon, yeah?"

"Eventually. Not soon." Donnie corrects, swatting away Leo's hands now and wrapping the scarf back around his neck.

"I'm waiting for the bruising to fade."

"Then what?"

"Then I'll deal with it."

"Bro, so not cool."

"What?" Donnie's expression is that of someone who's way too tired to be bothered, but Leo's never given any cares about that, let's be real.

"Look, if you're not gonna say anything, you don't have to worry about _me_ saying anything. I'm not a snitch, Bro."

"I wasn't worried about any-"

"But like, you at least need to go take a nap."

"....What?"

"Naptime, Donnie-boy."

"Please don't call me that."

"What? Donnie-boy? Why not? It's got a nice ring to it." Leo grins and jumps back as Donnie swats at him, teeth grinding just a little in that tell-tale sign of annoyance.

"I swear to God, Leo-!"

Leo takes what he can get in situations like this. Now, at least, things don't feel _weird._  He knows that Donnie is _okay_ , just bruised (badly, but Leo suspects it could have been like hella worse) and he can kinda live with that (but would prefer if it never happened again please'kaythanks). Right now, he can go back to not worrying and he can bug Donnie again and not be like super weird about it.

And Leo won't tell Raph or Mikey what he's learned because no, he's not a snitch, but it's not really up to him to tell _anyway_ , it's up to Donnie to tell. Eventually they'll find out, but hopefully it won't be so bad.

Leo will bring Donnie some ice later anyway, because...well, just because it's all he knows to do really.

And things will be alright and maybe there won't be another late night like last night.


End file.
